If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Marketing techniques and plans

Hi there,
So this new coming year, I want to try to market our company in the corporate sector. We were held back a lot with the Uber fear, but that part is out. Our sales dropped only 5% in 2105 and 10 % this year, and that also due to change in staff so can't really blame it. We are a midsize company with 8 vehicles, and never really approached the corporate sector.

I know some big companies in NJ, and they simply don't advertise at all. A 100% of their work is corporate, and I wonder how they get it. With a team of 3 other smaller companies, we are at 16 vehicles, and we are ready to compete with them.

I was I was wondering if any of you have hired a sales person and tried approaching them via mail, phone call or email. If so, what is your format that you choose to start an initial conversation, or what type of material would you mail or email?

Don't waste your money or time. If you are going to attempt entering the corporate market, it will not be overnight. You need to have a professional presence. We used Create A Card to assist us with a Spider Web, Post Cards and Trifold's. You need to walk in and make cold calls yourself. We have had good luck with Facebook and Google. Ran out first Google add for our Limo Bus and that generated at least 20 calls.

Combining Billy's and PartyBusDetroit's advice would be a huge start. Google Adwords campaigns go a long ways if targeted correctly. I (and others I know) always get a representative from Google on the phone to help with an Adwords campaign. They have some pre-built categories for advertising, but doing it manually with a person from Google will get you more bang for the buck.

You never know if a business is ready for a new provider unless you get in there and show face. Have you thought about a loyalty plan for businesses? 10 rides and get the 11th free? It's a big discount... but 10 rides for a new business and you'd have them hooked if service is done well.

Thank you for your reply. Yes, we have been advertising with Google, Yelp (Stopped recently, too expensive), Bing ads and others for many years. I tune the campaigns every 4-6 months with some tech support.

I was trying to target bigger corporations now. The one that can give us 30-100 trips per month or so. Earlier, we were unable to manage such numbers few years back. I think we are ready now. How I get those type of corporate accounts is a puzzle.

But I think cold calls will be a try number 1 sometime next month. I may even hire a sales guy to do this. I am terrible at cold calls, I just feel hurt on every rejection. I am better at managing the business, maintaining vehicles, and driving occasionally..

Are you prepared to give them a better price than they are paying now?

I can't say yes, without looking at their invoices. But I can certainly say I can provide better service with rates over all. I know price has become a major concern for every corporation, so yes, I can try.

Before you can develop a plan, you need to determine exactly where your business currently sits. A company may have more than one strategy in place at any given time, using various marketing platforms, including networking, digital media.